Just Curious

[Brensdad]

It's been several months now since the bill passed, and everyone's had time to simmer down and digest it and learn more about it.

Have you changed your mind? Do you feel better about it? Worse?

[Seans Mom]

Short answer to all the above: NO

[ScottB]

My employer had a meeting with us about a week or so ago about current changes being made to our companies health insurance and so far it's pretty much the same except our insurance, BCBS of Georgia is adopting what they call a "wellness" policy which for us means annual physicals and for those of us that smoke, if we don't stop smoking then our weekly amount that's taken out of our check for insurance will triple. The insurance will cover the cost of annual physicals 100% and for us smokers they will cover the cost of "quit smoking" meds such as Chantix 100% as well. Whether or not these changes have anything to do with the health care reform I can't say but at the same token many changes that the health care reform bill proposes wont go into effect for a while so I really have no clue at this moment how BCBS will respond to those changes.

[Ellen]

My husband's employer decided to extend the age for dependents to 26 starting September 1, 2010 - instead of waiting until November. That's the only change so far - couldn't be happier.

[hold48398]

With our COBRA coverage running out in November, we now have at least the option to insure Mia privately (albeit not sure of the cost yet), starting October 1st. This is a huuuuuuge relief and big pressure off our shoulders, just in case we need to use it.

[Brensdad]

I suppose then that either the Europeans have had it wrong all along or I have. Here they are, in the midst of a complete economic collapse, fleeing from social welfare programs while we in America seem to be clamoring over one another to get it.

Makes sense.

The impending collapse of the euro has meant cheap gas for us, but for Europeans the impact will be far more devastating. Consider Greece, where their debt reached 104% of the GDP, and they were faced with one option, and only one, and that was to take a bailout from the EU that investors wouldn't even touch unless Germany guaranteed the note. And to get the bailout, the Greeks would have to work past age 50. The results were riots in the streets and refusals by the people to give up the entitlements politicians had used for so long to tame the masses.

Global stock markets rebounded for one day after Greece was bailed out, and then when all of the day-traders realized that the EU had just financed debt with more expensive debt, using a currency that is over-valued and nearing collapse, and without the debtor agreeing at all to make any changes in order to repay the debt, the markets went right back down the drain. And they've stayed there now for some time.

We have now seen the US debt rise to 84% of GDP ($15 trillion), and by 2015 it will pass the 100% mark at $19 trillion. The administration is doing all it can to hide from us that the health care law was never going to cost less than $1 trillion over 10 years, but it's just not the case. Cap and Trade, which will kill any US manufacturing that is left, offshore drilling bans, proposed new energy taxes, financial "reform," and a host of other job-killers are all that have been offered as solutions.

But as long as the masses are tame, and they continue to vote for those that have brought such hope to the people, I suppose it might all work out.

[Lisa P.]

Regarding the OP, so far we have been able to follow the plan for our small business and family health insurance that we had before the Health Care Bill passed. Our state high-risk pool has not disappeared and says it won't, and since Colorado can be a little territorial (ha, ha) that may be true.

So, to date I'm less worked up about the bill because to date nothing has changed for us.

I was a little relieved to have portability for children on the horizon. Of course, I was always i favor of that (not -- I think -- just because it favored me but because it seems like the proper place of the federal government to legislate for fair scales in an interstate business). However, I haven't yet seen rate increases from the changes.


I still think we've crossed a huge, ugly line here but in practical terms am allowing myself to breathe since the effects aren't hitting hard yet.

As for the rest, well, you know where I stand on that. But personally I think the world has now changed and we won't be going back until we hit rock bottom, and I don't think even Greece here is going to be rock bottom. I'll be thrilled if we get the national will to reverse course, but since we're now heading out at about 250 mph I can't see anyone being able to convince the country to throw it into reverse. We'll just have to hit the tree. Hoping that happens to our generation, not our kids'.

[Lakeman]

The more I learn about it the less happy I am with it.

Presently 9% of insurance premium increases are attributed to the new law. How is it really worth it for all of us to pay thousands of dollars more so that a few people who had health care but did not have insurance can now have insurance? The only one who benefits are the insurance companies who have new customers.